Abstract:

An apparatus, system and method for desalination and purification of water
where fresh water is extracted from salt water, leaving behind the higher
salinity salt water. Salt water is bubbled, aerated, sprayed, or
otherwise agitated to cause breaking bubbles along the surface of the
salt water. An electric field is applied above the surface of the salt
water; fresh water droplets and vapor are released in the process of
bubble rupture, pulled away from the surface of the salt water, and
collected for consumption. The present invention may also be used to
purify fresh water by leaving impurities behind.

Claims:

1. A desalination apparatus comprising:a salt water reservoir containing
salt water;a bubbler for moving a gas through the salt water reservoir;an
electrode connected to a voltage source; anda ground.

2. The desalination apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gas is air.

3. The desalination apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electrode is
suspended above the salt water.

4. The desalination apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ground is located
within the salt water.

5. The desalination apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bubbler moves gas
through the salt water and agitates the salt water.

6. The desalination apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second
electrode.

7. The desalination apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a condenser.

8. The desalination apparatus of claim 7, wherein the condenser is an
electrostatic condenser.

11. The desalination apparatus of claim 9 wherein the electrode is
suspended above the salt water.

12. The desalination apparatus of claim 9 wherein the ground is located
within the salt water.

13. The desalination apparatus of claim 9 wherein the impeller moves gas
through the salt water and agitates the salt water.

14. The desalination apparatus of claim 9 wherein the impeller is driven
by wind power.

15. The desalination apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a second
electrode.

16. The desalination apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a condenser.

17. The desalination apparatus of claim 16, wherein the condenser is an
electrostatic condenser.

18. A system for desalination comprising:a flow vessel for continuous
processing of salt water to fresh water;a bubbler contained within the
flow vessel;an electrode placed within the flow vessel and connected to a
voltage source;an electrical ground; anda fresh water manifold.

19. The system for desalination of claim 18 further comprising a
condenser.

20. The system for desalination of claim 18, wherein the condenser is an
electrostatic condenser.

[0003]This invention relates generally to fresh water production, and more
particularly to an apparatus, system and method for electrostatic
desalination and water purification.

[0004]2. Description of Related Art

[0005]One of the growing problems facing mankind in the 21st century
is the ability of the earth to sustain an ever growing population.
Natural resources such as food and water supplies are being depleted or
damaged by the activities of man in ways that impact all of humanity,
particularly those that live in poor regions of the world.

[0006]Clean drinking water is essential for all life to exist on this
planet. In addition, water is necessary to grow crops and sustain food
production. Unfortunately our fresh water resources have not been
protected in ways that will ensure that future generations will have
adequate fresh water supplies. Fresh water has been overused, aquifers
have been depleted, and pollution has spoiled water quality in many
regions of the world. Fresh water supplies were treated as a never ending
resource; unfortunately, this is not reality, and water shortages as well
as the spread of disease and sickness through contaminated water is a
major problem of this century. Technical advances are needed to provide
adequate water supplies to sustain life in the future. These advances may
include techniques to clean polluted water as well as techniques to
utilize the earth's available water in ways that have heretofore been
impossible.

[0007]According to the NASA Earth Observatory website
www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov, 75 percent of the earth's surface is
covered by water, with 96.5 percent being in the global oceans.
Unfortunately, ocean water is not drinkable in its present form. This has
been a monumental difficulty throughout humanity, and the frustration of
having plentiful, albeit non-drinkable, water is described well in the
famous line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner--"Water, water, everywhere Nor any drop to drink".

[0008]There are techniques to extract fresh water from salt water, one of
the oldest being boiling or distillation. As salt water is boiled, the
steam leaving the salt water is condensed, the steam being essentially
fresh water. This technique was known by mariners hundreds of years ago,
and still manifests itself in commercial flash distillation plants.
Distillation is an energy intensive process due to the heat required.
This makes distillation not only expensive, but also contributes to the
growing problem of carbon dioxide emissions, as well as other pollutants,
and their subsequent impact on the environment. Reverse Osmosis is a
fairly recent technique that has gained widespread attention as an
alternative to distillation. This process is also energy intensive due to
the pressures needed to move water through the reverse osmosis membrane.

[0009]There have been other attempts to desalinate ocean water including
freezing, various chemical processes, and others.

[0010]In the 1960's, Yukichi Asakawa observed that the evaporation of
water can be increased or assisted by an electric field. In a 1967
symposium this information was presented to the Japan Society of
Mechanical Engineering.

[0011]In U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,993 Method and Apparatus For Removing Salt
From Sea Water, now expired, Arbisi describes an apparatus and method
that used a supply tank containing salt water where bubbles are
discharged in the chamber and a crossflow of air is applied along with an
electric field to obtain water of lesser salinity than the starting salt
water. In the '993 patent, techniques to further reduce the salinity of
the product water are disclosed, including reverse osmosis and
electrodialysis desalination. It appears from the disclosure that the
apparatus of Arbisi was not able to generate fresh water without the
addition of a secondary system such as reverse osmosis or electrodialysis
desalination. In addition, the apparatus of Arbisi uses supply tanks and
collection tanks, making the apparatus unsuitable for continuous
processing of fresh water. These and other shortcomings are solved by the
present invention and the various embodiments described herein. The
entire disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,993 is incorporated herein by
reference.

[0012]It is known that an electric field is capable of interacting with
water vapor. U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,944 to Hoenig describes an Apparatus For
Extracting Water Vapor From Air. The entire disclosure of this patent is
incorporated herein by reference.

[0013]Therefore, there currently exists an unmet need for a system to
remove impurities from sea water to make it fit for human consumption
without the need for massive energy consumption and its associated
pollution, carbon emissions, and other environmental impacts. It is
expected that this unmet need will continue to increase with the rise in
world populations and the increase in global temperatures and associated
water shortages. There is further an unmet need to provide a system to
convert sea water into fresh water that can be economically scaled in
size to provide both small systems that can be economically operated in
poor regions of the world as well as larger commercial systems that can
supply fresh water on a municipal or regional basis. It is thus an object
of the present invention to provide an apparatus, system and method for
desalination and purification of water, in particular but not limited to,
the desalination of sea water. It is another object of the present
invention to provide an apparatus, system and method for desalination and
purification of water that requires very little energy consumption. It is
yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus,
system and method for desalination and purification of water that has
very low maintenance requirements and is simple to operate. It is yet
another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus, system
and method for desalination and purification of water that operates on
either a continuous or a batch process. These and other objects of the
present invention will be further brought to light upon reading this
specification and claims and viewing the attached drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014]In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an
apparatus, system and method for desalination that uses bubbling,
agitation and aeration of salt water to create fresh water droplets and
vapor that are electrostatically collected and processed for subsequent
consumption. The present invention may also be used to purify fresh water
by leaving impurities behind.

[0015]The foregoing paragraph has been provided by way of introduction,
and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as described by
this specification, drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]The invention will be described by reference to the following
drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements, and in which:

[0018]FIG. 2 is a diagram of an alternative embodiment of the present
invention;

[0019]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a continuous flow system of the
present invention;

[0020]FIG. 4 is a plan view of a continuous How system of the present
invention;

[0021]FIG. 5 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the present
invention that uses renewable energy sources;

[0022]FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the
present invention that is stackable, modular and transportable;

[0023]FIG. 7 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the present
invention that is portable; and

[0024]FIG. 8 is a diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

[0025]The present invention will be described in connection with several
preferred embodiments, however, it will be understood that there is no
intent to limit the invention to the embodiments described. On the
contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and
equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by this specification, drawings and claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026]For a general understanding of the present invention, reference is
made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals have been
used throughout to designate identical elements.

[0027]A brief overview of several basic physical concepts is presented
here to fully enable one skilled in the art to make and use the
invention.

[0028]In nature, there are processes that occur in the water cycle where
fresh water leaves the surface of the oceans and is transferred into the
atmosphere, consequently formed as clouds, and then redeposited into the
oceans. This water cycle is presented in overly simplified terms, but
there are many subtleties of the water cycle that are not fully
understood, but have been explored over the years. In the 1950's, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution performed extensive research into the
interaction between the oceans, the earth's fields, and weather
phenomenon. For example. Duncan C. Blanchard, in the August 1958 issue of
The Journal of Meteorology, in a manuscript entitled "Electrically
Charged Drops From Bubbles In Sea Water And Their Meteorological
Significance", describes bubbles formed at sea, resulting jet droplets
that are released from the bubble as it breaks the surface of the sea,
and resulting electric charges that are formed on the released jet
droplets. When a bubble breaks the surface of water, it ejects several
small droplets that will then fall back into the water through loss of
kinetic energy and the resulting force of gravity exerted thereon. These
droplets may be jet droplets, or droplets may also form on the periphery
of larger bubbles as they break the surface of the water, and are at
times referred to as film droplets, as they result from the bursting of
the "film" of the bubble as it breaks the surface of the water. The
phenomenon of electric charge at the boundary condition of an air water
interface is most peculiar, and has been noted several times in the
history of scientific research. It was noted almost 150 years ago that
the boundary condition of water droplets releasing from a nozzle into the
air can create electrostatic forces. In a paper delivered to the Royal
Society of London on Jun. 19, 1867, and entitled "On a Self-acting
Apparatus for multiplying and maintaining electric charges", Sir W.
Thomson (Lord Kelvin) describes in further detail the water-dropping
collector for atmospheric electricity that he disclosed during a lecture
at the Royal Institution in 1860. The disclosure of this paper may be
obtained from the Royal Society of London, and is incorporated herein in
its entirety. The Kelvin Dropper, as it has become known, has been
displayed over the years as a scientific curiosity. It is a most amazing
device, where two streams of water run down into two metallic reservoirs
that are electrically isolated from one another. The water passes through
two metallic rings or cylinders, electrically connected to the opposite
metallic reservoir. If the electrical connections are placed in proximity
to each other, and are non-insulated, a spark will jump the gap between
them. This phenomenon will repeat itself periodically. The spark will
easily jump a 1 cm. gap between the electrical connections, meaning that
the electric field generated by such a simple device is in excess of 22.3
KV/cm (an approximate breakdown electric field in air). The Kelvin
Dropper brings to mind many questions and it can only be speculated that
the boundary conditions of droplets entering the air and the resulting
electric charge is similar to the processes by which bubbles breaking the
surface of water create an electric charge.

[0029]The boundary conditions of a bubble breaking the surface of water
creates an electric charge. Blanchard proved this in his 1958 manuscript
entitled "Electrically Charged Drops From Bubbles In Sea Water And Their
Meteorological Significance". In salt water, this electric charge and
possibly other phenomenon result in the ejected water droplets being
essentially fresh water. The applicants, while providing a brief overview
of the phenomenon, do not wish to be bound to any particular theory as to
why the electric charge occurs or why fresh water is produced from salt
water, but rather, wish to harness this phenomenon in new and useful
ways.

[0030]Turning now to FIG. 1, a diagram of one embodiment of the present
invention is depicted. The embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 was built and
tested, and the results are provided herein.

[0031]A salt water reservoir 101 is depicted. In the experimental setup, a
ten gallon glass aquarium was used, but in practice, any suitable vessel
for holding salt water and the associated bubbler and upper electrode
assembly will do. The salt water 103 is added to the salt water reservoir
101 to a level at which the salt water vessel is partially filled. In the
case of the experimental setup, the salt water used was pacific ocean
salt water purchased from Petco. Other natural salt water or brackish
water would work with equally satisfactory results. Within the salt water
reservoir 101 is a bubbler 105. The bubbler 105 is connected to an air
source 107 such as a blower, compressor or the like. The experimental
setup used a bubbler made from a serpentine arrangement of 1/2 inch PVC
pipe with slits scored on the upper surface using a scroll saw. Other
structures that emanate bubbles in water may also be used. In addition,
other techniques for aerating the water, such as electrostatic devices,
piezoelectric motors and drives, and the like, may also be used. The air
source 107 in the experimental setup was both a small air compressor, as
well as a vacuum unit operated as a blower. Other sources of air may also
be used. In the salt water 103, a water ground 109 is present. The ground
109 may be any conductive material. By way of example, the experimental
setup used 1/2 inch stainless steel grid cloth as provided by McNichols
Corporation. The ground 109 is connected to a high voltage power supply
117 such as the one used in the experimental setup manufactured by Emco
High Voltage. Inc. The connection is made by a ground lead 113 that may
be any suitable conductor such as 18 gauge insulated copper wire. Sitting
above the salt water 103 is an upper electrode 111 that is connected to
the high voltage power supply 117 by way of an upper electrode lead 115.
The upper electrode lead may be, for example, 18 gauge insulated copper
wire. The insulation is preferably of the kind made for high voltage
applications and contains, for example, silicone. The upper electrode 111
may be made from any suitable metallic structure. By way of example, the
experimental setup used 1/2 inch stainless steel grid cloth as provided
by McNichols Corporation. The salt water reservoir 101 in one embodiment
is covered with a blower 119 to extract and remove fresh water droplets
from the reservoir 101. The blower 119 is attached to a fresh water
outlet 121 that enters a condensing vessel 123. The condensing vessel in
the experimental setup, by way of example, was a 5 gallon glass carboy.
The condensing vessel 123 is cooled using any suitable technique for
reducing the temperature of a structure. In the experimental setup, a
cooling vessel 125 which was a plastic tub containing a coolant 127, in
this case snow, was used. Other techniques, such as coolant liquid,
cooling airflow, condenser technologies, or the like, may also be used.
Fresh water 129 is thus collected in the condensing vessel 123. Exhaust
air 131 exits the system during operation.

[0032]It should be noted that in place of a condensing vessel 123 and
related structures, an electrostatic device such as the Apparatus For
Extracting Water Vapor From Air that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
6,302,944 to Hoenig, may be used to collect the fresh water.

[0033]To use the embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 1,
salt water 103 is placed in the salt water reservoir 101. Care should be
taken not to splash the salt water on the sides of the salt water
reservoir 101. The high voltage supply 117 is turned on, and the blower
107 is turned on. As bubbles travel through the salt water by way of the
blower 119, they burst upon arrival at the surface of the salt water.
They release fresh water droplets through the process described
previously. The fresh water droplets then encounter the electric field as
provided by the upper electrode 111, and are pulled upward and through
the upper electrode 111, where they encounter outward air movement
provided by the blower 119. The fresh water droplets are then conveyed
through a fresh water outlet 121 and into a condensing vessel 123 where
they condense and coalesce into fresh water.

[0034]In a series of experiments performed at the Lennox Tech Center,
Rochester, N.Y. the experimental setup of FIG. 1 was operated for 30
minutes in two separate experiments. The applied voltage was -5,200
volts. The total dissolved solids in parts per million as well as the pH
were measured using an Omega Instruments pH/Conductivity meter. The sea
water was pacific ocean sea water purchased from Petco. In the first
experimental run, the sea water was at 29,400 ppm with a pH of 8.19.
After 30 minutes, 25 ml. of fresh water was produced with a pH of 7.18 at
590 ppm. The experiment was repeated with no voltage applied, and 8 ml.
of fresh water was produced with a pH of 7.05 at 650 ppm. A second
experiment repeated this test with the same setup as before. The sea
water was at 30,900 ppm with a pH of 8.3. After 30 minutes, 25 ml. of
fresh water was produced with a pH of 6.4 at 580 ppm. The experiment was
repeated with no voltage applied, and 2 ml. of fresh water was produced
in 46 minutes.

[0035]Turning now to FIG. 2 and the setup depicted therein, a diagram of
an alternative embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The setup
is very similar to the setup previously described in FIG. 1, with the
addition of an upper ground 233. The upper ground 233 may be any
conductive material, and is positioned above the upper electrode 211. One
example of a suitable material for the upper ground 233 is 1/2 inch
stainless steel grid cloth as provided by McNichols Corporation.

[0036]A salt water reservoir 201 is depicted. Any suitable vessel for
holding salt water and the associated bubbler and upper electrode
assembly will do. The salt water 203 is added to the salt water reservoir
201 to a level at which the salt water vessel is partially filled. Within
the salt water reservoir 201 is a bubbler 205. The bubbler 205 is
connected to an air source 207 such as a blower, compressor or the like.
Suitable bubblers include, for example, PVC pipe that is perforated,
sintered metals, sintered ceramics, and the like. Air sources 207 may
include compressors, blowers, and the like. In the salt water 203, a
water ground 209 is present. The water ground 209 may be any conductive
material, such as, for example, 1/2 inch stainless steel grid cloth as
provided by McNichols Corporation. The water ground 209 is connected to a
high voltage power supply 217 such as, for example, the high voltage
power supplies manufactured by Emco High Voltage, Inc. The connection is
made by a ground lead 213 that may be any suitable conductor such as 18
gauge insulated copper wire. Sitting above the salt water 203 is an upper
electrode 211 that is connected to the high voltage power supply 217 by
way of an upper electrode lead 215. The upper electrode lead may be, for
example, 18 gauge insulated copper wire. The insulation is preferably of
the kind made for high voltage applications and contains, for example,
silicone. The upper electrode 211 may be made from any suitable metallic
structure such as, for example, 1/2 inch stainless steel grid cloth as
provided by McNichols Corporation. Above the upper electrode 211 is an
upper ground 233 that may be made from any suitable metallic structure
such as, for example, 1/2 inch stainless steel grid cloth as provided by
McNichols Corporation. The salt water reservoir 201 in one embodiment is
covered with a blower 219 to extract and remove fresh water droplets from
the reservoir 201. The blower 219 is attached to a fresh water outlet 221
that enters a condensing vessel 223, that may be any suitable vessel for
collecting and retaining fresh water, and may be made from, for example,
glass, metal, a plastic, or the like. The condensing vessel 223 is cooled
using any suitable technique for reducing the temperature of a structure,
such as a plastic tub 225 containing a coolant 227. Other techniques,
such as coolant liquid, cooling airflow, condenser technologies, or the
like, may also be used. Fresh water 229 is thus collected in the
condensing vessel 223. Exhaust air 231 exits the system during operation.

[0037]It should be noted that in place of a condensing vessel 223 and
related structures, an electrostatic device such as the Apparatus For
Extracting Water Vapor From Air that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
6,302,944 to Hoenig, may be used to collect the fresh water.

[0038]To use the embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 2,
salt water 203 is placed in the salt water reservoir 201. Care should be
taken not to splash the salt water on the sides of the salt water
reservoir 201. The high voltage supply 217 is turned on, and the blower
207 is turned on. As bubbles travel through the salt water by way of the
blower 219, they burst upon arrival at the surface of the salt water.
They release fresh water droplets through the process described
previously. The fresh water droplets then encounter the electric field as
provided by the upper electrode 211, and are pulled upward and through
the upper electrode 211 and the upper ground 211, where they encounter
outward air movement provided by the blower 219. The fresh water droplets
are then conveyed through a fresh water outlet 221 and into a condensing
vessel 223 where they condense and coalesce into fresh water.

[0039]Turning now to FIG. 3, a cross sectional view of a continuous flow
system of the present invention is depicted. FIG. 3 should be viewed
accompanied by FIG. 4. In order to extract fresh water from salt water, a
continuous process is needed to generate quantities of water that are
sufficient for use by multiple individuals, businesses, communities,
municipalities, regions, and the like. The continuous flow system
depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4 moves salt water from an ocean, sea, or another
source, and creates a flow whereby the fresh water is extracted as it
travels through the continuous flow system. FIG. 3 depicts a cross
sectional view of a continuous flow system of the present invention. A
flow vessel 301 is depicted that may be made from a metal such as steel,
iron, copper, or the like. The flow vessel 301 may also be made from a
plastic such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Polyethelyne (PE), or the like.
As salt water enters the flow vessel 301 as depicted by the flow vector
in 303, a level of salt water within the flow vessel is maintained
between the upper electrode 317 and the bubbler 307 to allow for proper
operation of the system. The level of salt water is maintained through
techniques known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, a
pump with a duty cycle or speed control that is controlled by a level
sensor or sensors. Salt water then leaves the system to return to the sea
or, in some embodiments of the present invention, to be recirculated
through the system subsequent times. Toward the bottom of the flow vessel
301, a bubbler 307 is depicted. The bubbler 307 may be made from a pipe
that is perforated, a sintered metal, a sintered ceramic, and the like.
In addition, other techniques for aerating the water, such as
electrostatic devices, piezoelectric motors and drives, and the like, may
also be used. The lower part of the flow vessel 301 is grounded such that
the salt water in the system is grounded as well. An upper electrode 317
is placed above the salt water in the (low vessel and is retained through
structures such as standoffs, fasteners, and the like (not shown). The
upper electrode 317 may be made from any suitable conductive material
such as stainless steel, copper, or the like. In some embodiments of the
present invention, the upper electrode 317 is coated with a dielectric
such as, for example, an electrical varnish, an epoxy, or the like. The
upper electrode 317 is electrically connected to a high voltage power
supply (not shown) by way of an upper electrode lead 311 that may be for
example, 18 gauge insulated copper wire. The insulation is preferably of
the kind made for high voltage applications and contains, for example,
silicone. Coupled to the flow vessel 301 is a fresh water manifold 313
that takes the produced fresh water droplets and vapor and carries them
away and into a processing chamber or vessel in the direction of the
fresh water flow vector 315. The fresh water flow vector 315 may be
mechanically assisted through the actions of a blower, fan, or the like
(not shown). In some embodiments of the present invention, the fresh
water manifold 313 is cooled to assist in the collection and condensation
of fresh water. In other embodiments of the present invention, an
electrostatic device such as the Apparatus For Extracting Water Vapor
From Air that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,944 to Hoenig, may be
used to collect the fresh water.

[0040]The basic building block described in FIG. 3 can be enlarged, or
more flow vessels connected in a pipeline like configuration, to increase
output and production of fresh water. As depicted in FIG. 4, a plan view
of a continuous flow system of the present invention is depicted.
Multiple flow vessels 403 that have been described by way of FIG. 3, are
connected together, with a fresh water manifold 405 delivering fresh
water as has been described by way of FIG. 3. The continuous flow system
has an intake 401 for bringing salt water in. A pump or series of pumps
are used to circulate the salt water through the system, allowing for the
production of fresh water through the process that has been heretofore
described.

[0041]To use the continuous flow system of the present invention, salt
water passes through a flow vessel or a series of flow vessels. As the
salt water passes through, bubbles are injected into the salt water. Upon
bursting of the bubbles in the salt water, fresh water jet and film
droplets are released from the surface of the salt water. These drops are
predominantly fresh water, and are electrostatically removed from the
immediate environment surrounding the salt water by way of an applied
electrostatic field and an airflow. As they are removed, they are
collected as fresh water.

[0042]There also exists a need for a desalination system according to the
present invention that uses renewable energy, and is powered by natural
sources such as the sun and the action of waves. Such a system has
tremendous practical applications, such as providing fresh water to
regions of the world that lack adequate supplies of fresh water and do
not have the economic wealth needed to install and operate large scale
desalination systems. Such a system is depicted in FIG. 5, which is a
sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention that uses
renewable energy sources. The system depicted in FIG. 5 is preferably
located a short distance from the ocean or the sea, as it uses salt water
from the ocean or the sea as well as the action of the waves to agitate
the salt water during the desalination process of the present invention.
The sectional view depicted in FIG. 5 shows a salt water processing
chamber 501. The salt water processing chamber may be a concrete,
plastic, steel, or similarly lined chamber for the retention of salt
water. It is open on one side to allow salt water 503 from a source such
as the ocean or a sea to enter. The present invention and its various
embodiments described herein rely on agitation, bubbling or similar
turbulent conditions in the presence of an electrostatic field. In the
embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, a coupler 505 is operatively coupled to a
float 507 and an agitator 509. The agitator 509 moves through the action
of waves in such as way as to create the necessary turbulence in the salt
water contained in the salt water processing chamber 501. The agitator
may be made of a material such as a non-corrosive metal, a plastic, or
the like. The coupler 505 is a mechanical linkage also made of a
non-corrosive metal, plastic, or the like. The float 507 is any buoyant
structure such as a Styrofoam or air filled structure or similar. As the
float rides up and down in the waves, mechanical energy from the waves is
translated into agitation to assist with the desalination process of the
present invention. As in the embodiments of the present invention
heretofore described, an upper electrode 511 sits above the salt water in
the salt water processing chamber 501. A water ground 513 is also
provided in the salt water processing chamber. Both the upper electrode
511 and the water ground 513 may be made of any conductive material, and
may optionally have a dielectric or anti-corrosive coating. Both the
upper electrode 511 and the water ground 513 are connected to a high
voltage supply 537 that is capable of delivering several thousand to tens
of thousands of volts at low current. The high voltage supply 537 may be
powered by a photovoltaic panel 539, or another power source such as
wind, battery, generator, or the like. A solar thermal collector 515 may
optionally be installed above the salt water processing chamber 501 to
increase the temperature of the salt water being processed in the system.
A suitable solar thermal collector 515 may be a fresnel lens, a
diffraction grating, or the like. The sun 517 thus creates an increase in
heat within the system due to the positioning of the solar thermal
collector 515. As the salt water 503 is agitated through wave action,
bubbles and other turbulence create droplets of fresh water and fresh
water vapor that can be removed through a fresh water manifold 519 that
is connected to the salt water processing chamber. A blower 521 may
optionally be used to facilitate movement of the fresh water droplets and
vapor that has electrostatically migrated upward away from the salt water
503 through the action of the applied electric field. A collection
chamber 525 for the fresh water receives a fresh water outlet 523 that
may be a duct, pipe, or similar structure. The fresh water outlet 523 may
optionally have baffles to facilitate droplet and vapor condensation. The
collection chamber 525 may be made from a non-corrosive, plated or coated
metal, a plastic, concrete, ceramic, or the like. The collection chamber
525 may also, in some embodiments of the present invention, be installed
in the earth 527 to take advantage of the cooler temperature of the earth
in contrast to ambient air. It is known that as one digs deeper in the
earth, ground temperatures often times drop. The use of such geothermal
cooling will increase the throughput of the system. Other techniques for
cooling that are known to those skilled in the art may also be used. As
seen in FIG. 5, in use, fresh water 529 will collect in the collection
chamber 525. From the collection chamber 525, a fresh water distribution
manifold 531 that is placed in the collection chamber 525 will remove the
fresh water by way of a pump 533 or similar setup, and connect to a fresh
water distribution pipe 535 for distribution and use of the fresh water
provided for by the system of the present invention.

[0043]As will be evident after reading this specification and the
accompanying drawings, proper aeration, bubbling or agitation of salt
water in the presence of an electric field will produce fresh water
droplets and vapor that can then be processed for use. Increasing the
surface area of the salt water that is being processed is one variable
that can increase the production rate of fresh water. Thus, the ability
to produce more fresh water while occupying the same footprint is very
useful in applications such as mobile desalination systems that are
necessary in missions ranging from humanitarian efforts to disaster
relief to military operations. What is described by way of FIG. 6 is a
stackable system that can be fit to the specific geometries of the
required application, such as installation on a truck. FIG. 6 is a
schematic representation of one embodiment of the present invention that
is stackable, modular and transportable. By way of convenience, and not
limitation, FIG. 6 depicts a 3 high stack system. Other quantities and
configurations can also be envisioned after reading this specification
and the accompanying drawings. The upper stack element will be described;
the components for the remaining stack elements depicted in FIG. 6 will
be similar. Each stack element is connected to a manifold for delivering
salt water into the element, an air manifold for delivering air through
the salt water in each stack element, and a fresh water outlet manifold
for removing the fresh water produced in each stack element to a tank or
other fresh water collection system. The high voltage and associated
electronics are also interconnected between the stack elements using
buses or similar structures.

[0044]The stack element 601, as well as the second stack element 603 and
the nth stack element 605 each have the following. A salt water inlet
manifold 607 delivers salt water 613 to each of the elements in the
stack. A valve 609 may be used in conjunction with other flow control
techniques to control the volume and rate of salt water delivery to each
stack element. Each stack element may be made from a non-corrosive,
plated or coated metal, a plastic or the like. There may be additional
hardware used to mechanically couple one stack element to another. A
fresh water outlet manifold 611 removes the fresh water droplets and
vapor from each stack element into a fresh water tank 629. The fresh
water tank may be made from a non-corrosive, plated or coated metal, a
plastic or the like, and has an exhaust 631 to allow for air movement.
Fresh water 633 is collected in the fresh water tank 629. Optionally, a
cooling source 635 may be applied to the fresh water tank 629 to assist
in fresh water collection. In each stack element, an upper electrode 615
sits above the salt water 613. The upper electrode 615 may be made from
any electrically conductive material, and is connected to a high voltage
supply source or bus (not shown) by way of an upper electrode lead 617. A
water ground 619 sits in the salt water 613 of each stack element, and is
connected to a ground 621. Each stack element also has a bubbler 623 that
is coupled to an air manifold 635 that is in turn connected to a blower
627 or similar source of air. The bubbler 623 may be made from a
non-corrosive, plated or coated metal, a plastic or the like, and
contains perforations or other bubble forming structures. In addition,
other techniques for aerating the water, such as electrostatic devices,
piezoelectric motors and drives, and the like, may also be used. In use,
the stack will be fed salt water so that each stack element is partially
full of salt water, the bubbler begins to generate a stream of bubbles in
the salt water, and a high voltage potential is applied to
electrostatically assist with the removal and subsequent collection of
fresh water droplets and vapor. The fresh water is removed from the
system by way of positive air pressure and optionally with the assistance
of a blower or the like (not shown), and collected for use. Salt water is
periodically removed from the system to ensure proper production of fresh
water.

[0045]In another embodiment of the present invention as depicted by FIG.
7, a portable system is depicted. The need to create fresh water from
salt water extends from very large commercial needs to smaller community,
family or group needs, as well as individual needs. Survival, hiking,
military, and humanitarian applications all have need for a small,
compact and portable desalination apparatus. In FIG. 7, such an apparatus
is depicted. Alterations, modifications and improvements to the basic
design depicted in FIG. 7 will be suggested to one after reading this
specification and the attached drawings, and are considered within the
spirit and broad scope of this invention and the various embodiments
thereof.

[0046]The chamber 701 in FIG. 7 may be of any suitable geometry to collect
electrostatically assisted water droplets and vapor, and may be made from
any suitable material such as a plastic, a metal, ceramic, and the like.
A fresh water collection gutter 703 is used to capture the fresh water as
it collects on the sides and walls of the chamber 701. A fresh water
outlet 705 will then carry the produced fresh water into a suitable
collection vessel or the like. Within the chamber 701 is a salt water
vessel 707 where one places salt water 709 prior to beginning the
desalination process of the present invention. As described in other
embodiments of the present invention, a bubbler 711 is located in the
salt water vessel and is operatively coupled by way of an air manifold
713 to a blower 715 or other source of air. The blower 715 has an air
inlet 717 where air is carried through the bubbler 711 by way of the
blower 715 to produce the bubbles and agitation required for the
desalination process of the present invention. In addition, other
techniques for aerating the water, such as electrostatic devices,
piezoelectric motors and drives, and the like, may also be used. In the
salt water vessel 707, a water ground 719 is also seen. The water ground
719 is made from an electrically conductive material, and is electrically
connected by way of the ground lead 727 to a high voltage supply 723 such
as, for example, the high voltage supplies made by Emco High Voltage. An
upper electrode 721 is placed above the salt water 709. and may be made
from a conductive material that is non-corrosive, or is coated or plated.
The upper electrode 721 is electrically connected by way of the upper
electrode lead 725 to the high voltage supply 723. To use the portable
system of the present invention depicted in FIG. 7, salt water 709 is
added to the salt water vessel 707. The blower 715 is powered on, and the
high voltage supply 723 is turned on. As bubbles travel through the salt
water 709, they break on the surface of the salt water, releasing fresh
water droplets and vapor that are carried up by the electric field
applied by way of the upper electrode 721. The fresh water droplets and
vapor collect on the sides and walls of the chamber 701, where they run
down the sides and walls and are retained by a fresh water collection
gutter 703, and finally transferred by way of a fresh water outlet 705 to
a suitable storage or collection vessel.

[0047]FIG. 8 depicts a diagram of another embodiment of the present
invention. The embodiment depicted in FIG. 8 was built and tested, and
the results are provided herein.

[0048]A salt water reservoir 101 is depicted. In the experimental setup, a
ten gallon glass aquarium was used, but in practice, any suitable vessel
for holding salt water and the associated bubbler and upper electrode
assembly will do. The salt water 103 is added to the salt water reservoir
101 to a level at which the salt water vessel is partially filled. In the
case of the experimental setup, the salt water used was pacific ocean
salt water purchased from Petco. Other natural salt water or brackish
water would work with equally satisfactory results. Within the salt water
reservoir 101 is an impeller 807. The impeller 807 is connected to a
motor 801 by way of a shaft 805. The motor 801 is connected to a source
of power 803. The motor may, in some embodiments of the present
invention, be an electric motor that is connected to a source of electric
power. The motor 801 may also be a pneumatic motor or a mechanical motor
connected to a source of mechanical power such as a windmill, wind
turbine, or the like. The experimental setup used an impeller made from a
PVC pipe cut longitudinally and connected to a fiberglass shaft in a
perpendicular manner. Other impellers may be used including, for example,
a paddle wheel structure as well as others. It was noted that the
impeller both agitated the water and drew bubbles into the salt water. It
was further noted that the combination of aeration and disturbance of the
water and bubbles in the water contributed to production of fresh water
from salt water. In the salt water 103, a water ground 109 is present.
The ground 109 may be any conductive material. By way of example, the
experimental setup used 1/2 inch stainless steel grid cloth as provided
by McNichols Corporation. The ground 109 is connected to a high voltage
power supply 117 such as the one used in the experimental setup
manufactured by Emco High Voltage, Inc. The connection is made by a
ground lead 113 that may be any suitable conductor such as 18 gauge
insulated copper wire. Sitting above the salt water 103 is an upper
electrode 111 that is connected to the high voltage power supply 117 by
way of an upper electrode lead 115. The upper electrode lead may be, for
example, 18 gauge insulated copper wire. The insulation is preferably of
the kind made for high voltage applications and contains, for example,
silicone. The upper electrode 111 may be made from any suitable metallic
structure. By way of example, the experimental setup used 1/2 inch
stainless steel grid cloth as provided by McNichols Corporation. The salt
water reservoir 101 in one embodiment is covered with a blower 119 to
extract and remove fresh water droplets from the reservoir 101. The
blower 119 is attached to a fresh water outlet 121 that enters a
condensing vessel 123. The condensing vessel in the experimental setup,
by way of example, was a 5 gallon glass carboy. The condensing vessel 123
is cooled using any suitable technique for reducing the temperature of a
structure. In the experimental setup, a cooling vessel 125 which was a
plastic tub containing a coolant 127, in this case snow, was used. Other
techniques, such as coolant liquid, cooling airflow, condenser
technologies, or the like, may also be used. Fresh water 129 is thus
collected in the condensing vessel 123. Exhaust air 131 exits the system
during operation.

[0049]It should be noted that in place of a condensing vessel 123 and
related structures, an electrostatic device such as the Apparatus For
Extracting Water Vapor From Air that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
6,302,944 to Hoenig, may be used to collect the fresh water.

[0050]To use the embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 1,
salt water 103 is placed in the salt water reservoir 101. Care should be
taken not to splash the salt water on the sides of the salt water
reservoir 101. The high voltage supply 117 is turned on, and the blower
107 is turned on. As the impeller 807 agitates the fresh water and pulls
air into the salt water in the form of bubbles, fresh water droplets are
produced. The fresh water droplets then encounter the electric field as
provided by the upper electrode 111, and are pulled upward and through
the upper electrode 111, where they encounter outward air movement
provided by the blower 119. The fresh water droplets are then conveyed
through a fresh water outlet 121 and into a condensing vessel 123 where
they condense and coalesce into fresh water.

[0051]In a series of experiments performed at the Lennox Tech Center,
Rochester, N.Y., the experimental setup previously described was operated
for 40 minutes. The applied voltage was -5,000 volts. The total dissolved
solids in parts per million as well as the pH were measured using an
Omega Instruments pH/Conductivity meter. The sea water was Pacific Ocean
sea water purchased from Petco. In the first experimental run, the sea
water was at 29,400 ppm with a pH of 8.2. After 40 minutes, 7 ml. of
fresh water was produced with 140 ppm. of total dissolved solids. There
was 2 inches of salt water in the reservoir with an electrode spacing of
8 inches. In a comparison experiment, the salt water was not agitated
with an impeller, but was agitated by pumping salt water through the
bubbler of FIG. 1 (no air) to create agitation in the reservoir without
bubbles or air present. The experimental setup was run for 40 minutes at
-5,000 volts, and no fresh water was produced. Thus, turbulence appears
to enhance the desalination process in the presence of bubbles or gas
entrapment. Applicants invention and the various embodiments described
and envisioned herein include any technique for entrapment of gas in salt
water as well as any technique to create turbulence, and any combination
thereof. Spraying of salt water is included in the various techniques of
the present invention.

[0052]The desalination method of the present invention and its various
embodiments described and envisioned herein may also be applied to water
that has been polluted or otherwise contains contaminants. In addition,
it is expected that commercial distillation systems such as multi-stage
flash distillation systems will benefit from the electrostatic techniques
described herein, as they are included in the spirit and broad scope of
this invention and its various embodiments described herein. Further, the
apparatus and method for desalination and water purification described
herein does not necessarily rely on filtration, as filtration is
intrinsic in the present invention and its various embodiments.

[0053]It is, therefore, apparent that there has been provided, in
accordance with the various objects of the present invention, an
apparatus, system and method for electrostatic desalination and water
purification. While the various objects of this invention have been
described in conjunction with preferred embodiments thereof, it is
evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be
apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to
embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall
within the spirit and broad scope of the present invention as defined by
this specification, drawings and claims.